Mounting bracket



Jan. 3, 1959 F; J. BALTHASER MOUNTING BRACKET Filed June 16, 1947.miimiiiimili Z'mnenior fiZoYo 5 44 THAJEE (Ittorneg Patented Jan. 3,1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOUNTING BRACKET Floyd J. Balthaser,sen Gabriel, Calif.

Application June 16, 1947, Serial No. 754,917

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a mounting bracket of the type adapted to beattached to asupport in pairs so as to suspend between them jointly atowel bar or the like.

Conventional towel bar brackets require that a separate mounting platebe fastened to the wall as a preliminary step in mounting thebracket,and that the bracket itself be provided with a recessed base flangelarge enough to contain and conceal the mounting plate so that thebracket, when in operative position, presents a neat, finishedappearance without revealing the screws by which the plate is secured.Moreover, it is customary practice to fasten the bracket to the plate bymeans, such as a set screw, which can be tightened to lock the bracketrigidly to the plate, or released to permit the brackets removal fromthe plate. Such locking means must be small and customarily are locatedin such a position as to be as inconspicuous as possible, with theresult that tightening and loosening thereof requires theuse of aspecial tool, and even with such a tool is awkward and diflicult and ismost apt to result in damaging the surface of the wall upon whichtheinstallation is made. It is an object of my invention, therefore, toprovide a mounting bracket of the character indicated which is ofunitary construction to the extent that it is adapted to be mounteddirectly upon a wall or other suitable supporting structure, by drivingscrews or other suitable fastening means through holes provided for thepurpose in the body ofthe bracket itself, thus avoiding the necessity ofutilizing a separate mounting plate, and yet which is of such noveldesign that when the 'installa tion is complete, the screw heads areconcealed from view and the bracket presents a pleasingly neat andfinished appearance.

It is a further object in this connection to provide such a brackethaving attachment openings for the insertion of screws or the like,which openings are accessible to a screwdriver disposed perpendicularlywith respect to the supporting sur face even though they are concealedfrom view in the mounted unit.

Another purpose is the provision of such a mounting bracket having areadily detachable, resilient retaining member which. serves the doublepurpose of closing the opening in which the screw heads are accessibleand holding the towel bar in place.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and claims, the novelty consisting in the featuresof construction, combination of parts, the unique relations of themembers and the relative proportioning, disposition, and operationthereof, all as more completely outlined herein and particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the drawings, which form part of the present specification:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pair of my mounting brackets with atowel bar suspended between them.

Figure 2 is a front end elevational View of the same.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through one of thebrackets along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, with the direction of View asindicated.

Figure 4 is a view of the inner face of the bracket with the mountingspring in place, as viewed along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

My improved mounting brackets II] are adapted to be secured to a wall orbacking element l2 in pairs so as to suspend jointly between them a rodor bar l4, spaced outward from the wall and thus disposed in position tohave a towel or the like hung over it. The two brackets of such a pairare similarly formed but are faced in opposite directions in mounting,that is, opening toward each other so as to engage the bar between theiropen faces as will be more evident shortly.

Each bracket I0 is constructed of a fiat base plate l6 formed with anumber of transverse openings l8 for insertion therethrough of screws 20or the like so as to attach the bracket rigidly to the wall. From theouter side and end edges of the base there projects forward an extensionarm 2! generally U-shaped in transverse section and constructed of anintegrally formed side wall substantially throughout the length of thearm. Instead of extending straight out from the base plate, the arm ispreferably curved, and is offset, toward the side wall 22 so that anintegral knob portion 28 on the outer end of the arm 2| is inapproximate alignment with the outer end of the base plate 16. By thisarrangement it will be apparent that the screws 20 are easily availablefor insertion or removal by a screwdriver extendin straight outtherefrom since they do not underlie any portion of the knob 28.

The inner face of the knob 28 has a laterally projecting lip 30 on itsouter end formed around its three sides, the lip thus being in effect anextension of the side wall 22, top wall 24 and bottom wall 26, so theyserve to define a generally rectangular recess 32, open on two sides.The

towel bar I4 is adapted to seat in this recess with its fiat enddisposed in abutment against the corresponding inner surface of theknob.

Adjacent the inner edge of the base plate I6 there is provided atransverse, V-shaped groove or notch 34 cut in its top face A resilient,detachable, retaining member 35 is adapted to have one end of aninwardly bowed section 38 inserted in such notch, the opposite end ofthe spring being'bent approximately at right angles thereto.

to form a flat, rectangular tab 4% designed to abut against the backface of the end knob 28 and the inner faceiof the towel bar I 4. Whenthe tab is seated'in this position, a little pressure on the bowedsection 38 will cause its end to subsequently lodge in the notch 34,thusholding the towel bar M in place V In order to remove the bar, thebowed portion of the spring is simply pressed in until its enddisengages from the groove 34, whereupon the whole r tainin membe .36can he sl ped out at th bracket- The lo sened end of the towel scribed,comprising irig forwardly therefrom and comprising top and bottom wallsand a side wall defining a U-shaped trgansigerse section, a lip closingthe outer end of said arm, said base plate having an attachment openingthrough a portion thereof surrounded on three sides by said walls ofsaid arm and the outer portion'of said arm being laterally offset"tothatside of said arm having said side wall bar is hen swim-s: inoward the base pla e l6 so that the posit end oi the bar earl. b witjdra n from the: opposit rack t recess:=

Thus it will be seen that I have combined a, simple. and apid arranement. for mountin nd d mount -ne a. tow l ban w h a b acket construetion which permits the bracket to beattached dire tly to the wall byscrews through its base which screws can be manipulated by a screw.

driver pro e ng straight. utwa d, th screws n. addition bein d spos d utof sight the compl ed a sembly byr ason' of he ret ining member. 'Anadditional advantage is obtained be; r ason of. the iaetthat thebrackets oia a are identi aland h neeeompi telr nter hange able so that,dissimilar right and left hand brash ets need ot be provided.

While I haveshown and described in som do ta l a presentlypreierredmbdiment oi m mounting bracket, t is o be underst od that."

vari us mo ifications may be made in' he o0.

ruc i ni and operation thereof within the spirit. and scon of thesubsequen ly claimed. invention which s o: be construed broadly andlimited only y he prior-art. It i be appar nt, ior examp e,v a h shap ofhe. recess Iizw ll-be. formed to c rrespond to the configuration f the.towel bar 1 I nsertedth rein, and the latter. of o r e need not be recan ular or squa e ended.

olaim:

' L .A, m untin bracket. of the char-aeter do r bed, comprisin at-baseplate, an arm extend ns torwardly thereirom and oompri ins t pan'dbottomwalls and i sidewall defininga- Li -shaped ran verse s ction, a lipclosing the outer end; or

said. ar a, said as plate having an attachment p ni g. hrough a p rtinthereoi surrounded n hree sid s by said wal s oisaid ar and h uterortion. i said. arm being lat rall oi t to m nag i m having said; side.wallwhere.-

whereby said attachment opening is exposed to a said'baee plate. andmeans for releasably retain-r ing a bar with its end seated against theinner face of said lip comprising; a stri -oiresilient material ex endinlon itudinally of said arm in position to presenta closure for the open.side thereof, said strip ein flexed with; one end m s in esa nstsaidzbase plate and the other a ainst s id her.

mountins bracke for a. owel b r, som eel-sins. a; ase pla an arm-extnding f rwa dly herefit m, aid rm mprisin a W b n r o and? para lel sideflange spaced.- apart to reeeme, mend of a-t wel bar ther leetw en. saiwe and fle ses-ep ne et ns; to de ine a ush red section; an nd flan esubstantially parallel t s id: bas

plate atthe outer end: of said arma el extending: from aid web betweenaid; side flan es, and

elospre plate disposed in substantially flush relaiosshiatothe uter e esof s d side flanges fl'ndi elng, interposed between, said base platea daki tm elabar to r tail-.1.- saicl owel bar in; position xzThefoliowinge-references are of record in the file this patent: V V UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Ember Name 7 Date 34 7$ Clam- 1, Got. 1 L901 8111551Watson: Nov; 19, 1907 il l'kfifi F b. 19.115 messes Milne as" Jam so,.1833.

V FOREIGN PATENTS f Number Country 7 Date 7

